DUSHANBE, march 1, Asia-Plus – Uzbekistan intends to cut off gas supplies to Tajikistan.
On Monday February 27, “Tojikgaz” (Tajik state gas concern) received telephoned telegram from “Uztransgaz” (Uzbekistan’s gas supply company) warning about cutting off gas supplies to Tajikistan.
According to information from “Tojikgaz”, the telegram, in particular, says that “Uztransgaz” cuts off gas supplies to Tajikistan because of a large Tajikistan’s debt and Tojikgaz’s failure to make prepayment for March.
According to Tojikgaz, Tajikistan’s debt to Uzbekistan for gas supplies amounts to US$4 million. The debt of the public to the “Tojikgaz” enterprise for natural gas amounts some 130 million Somonis.
“At present our specialists are taking all necessary to resolve this problem,” said the Asia-Plus interlocutor, “One of methods, which we can use, is the closure of transit of natural gas between the Uzbek regions via the Tajik territory.” He also added that it was the last measure to which they might resort.
We will recall that under agreements reached between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Tajikistan is supposed to receive 730 million cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan at the rate of US$55 per 1,000 cubic meters.
As it had been reported earlier, since February 21, Uzbekistan has reduced natural gas supplies to the Tajik northern province of Sughd and new measures rationing natural gas supplies were taken in the region. The new rationing has resulted in the supply of daily natural gas being reduced to five hours – two hours of natural gas in the morning (6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.) and three hours in the evening (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.).
